Table mountable iron rest



Aug. 23, 1966 D. J. MUNSON 3,268,192

TABLE MOUNTABLE IRON REST Filed July 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Dal/4L0 \ZMUNSOW Wf%m ,4 rrom/zys Aug. 23, 1966 D. J. MUNSON 3,268,192

TABLE MOUNTABLE IRON REST Filed July 2, 1964 2 Sheecsheet 2 FIE. 4

INVENTOR. Day/up I Mums-cw Arranaars r 3,268,332 Patented August 23, 1966 3,268,192 TABLE MOUNTABLE IRON REST Donald J. Munson, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The J. R. Clark Company, Spring Park, Min a corporation of Minnesota Filed July 2, 1964, Ser. No. 379,787 Claims. (Cl. 248--117.1)

This invention relates generally to flatiron supports or rests and particularly concerns such rests as are adapted to be mounted on the top of an ironing table for ready use during the ironing operation.

In pending application Serial No. 240,362, filed November 27, 1962, now United States Patent No. 3,152,561, there is disclosed an ironing table top having longitudinal support ribs which not only support the top sheet but also serve as a guideway for slidably mounting a leg on the underside of the top. Such a guideway may also be used for slidably mounting other attachments on the top.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an iron rest for mounting on an ironing table top which can be readily detachably connected to the ironing table top for sliding movement along the underside of the top between a stored position under the top and a use position extending beyond one end of the top.

Another object of the invention is to provide an iron rest for connection to an ironing table top which rest is so configured as to provide a seat for firmly supporting the iron in a tilted position beyond one end of the top.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an iron rest for seating an iron adjacent to an ironing table top and which provides for smooth and easy insertion and removal of the iron from the support without sticking or binding.

With these objects in view the invention broadly comprises a flatiron support for attachment to an ironing table top having a built-in guide track extending longitudinally along the underside of one end portion thereof, said support having a bracket assembly for detachable mounting on the guide track for sliding movement therealong, the bracket assembly including a pair of spring tensioned members frictionally engaging the track, and a support member formed of metal rod configured to seat an iron in tilted position with the end portions of the rod attached to the bracket assembly for sliding movernent of the support member therewith between a stored position under the top and a use position extending beyond one end of the top.

The above mentioned and still additional objects of the invention will be brought to light during the course of the following specification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ironing table with the iron rest mounted thereon in operative position ready for use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged end elevation of the table top and rest with a flatiron supported in the rest.

FIG. 3 is an inverted plan view of the iron rest and the supporting end portion of the table top taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and looking upwardly.

FIG. 4 is like FIG. 3 but with the iron rest in a collapsed or stored position under the top.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 55 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 6 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference characters will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. The numeral 10 denotes generally an ironing table having an elongated top 11 and conventional front and rear legs 12 crossing longitudinally under the top to support it in elevated position.

The top 11 is constructed as described in the aforementioned pending application. It is provided with a flat top sheet 14 of perforate metal material surrounded by a peripheral marginal rim 15 which depends downwardly from the top sheet. A pair of elongated support ribs 16 extend longitudinally under the top sheet in transversely spaced parallelism with the ends of the ribs being integrally connected to the rim 15 as at 17. The ribs 16 are U-shaped in cross section, as shown in FIG. 6, and the inner facing walls thereof are provided with longitudinal grooves 18 which lie on a common horizontal plane parallel to the top sheet 14 to jointly form a longitudinal guideway on the underside of the top.

The iron rest is designated generally by the numeral 20. This comprises a bracket assembly 21 and an iron holder 22. The bracket assembly 21 includes a pair of side 'by side flat metal plates 24 which have their adjacent edges provided with central recesses 25. At the bottom of each recess there is a small tongue projection 26. The projections 26 are transversely aligned to jointly support a coil spring 27 the ends of which respectively encircle the projections. At either side of the recesses 25 the edge portions 28 of the plates 24 are bent slightly out of the plane of the plates in opposite directions enabling these portions of the plates to overlap each other as best shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6.

The iron holder 22 is formed of a single length of metal rod bent into the configuration best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The end portions of the rod form short and long mounting legs respectively denoted at 30 and 31. These legs are generally parallel and are integrally attached one to each plate 24 as by spot welding at points 32. Each of the legs has a medial offset 33 so that the legs while secured to the top of plates 24 will extend outwardly under the rim 15 as best shown in FIG. 5. The central portion of the rod is formed in a trapezoidal shape with transversely extending portions 34 and 35 converging toward a connector segment 36 which extends parallel to the leg 31. The segment 36 has its central portion downwardly arched as at 37 (FIG. 5) to form a cradle for a steam iron handle. Opposing the segment 36 the leg 31 is provided with a pair of rollers 39 which are journaled in longitudinally spaced positions on the leg and held in place by small nibs 40 which are stamped from the sides of the leg. The trapezoidal portion of the rest 20 is formed to seat and hold a conventional flatiron A having a base B, an operating handle C, and a power supply cord D.

When the table is not in use the rest is stored under the top in the position shown in FIG. 4. Here it is in a completely out of the way position where it does not in any way interfere with storage or erection or folding of the table. When the table is erected, as shown in FIG. 1, the operator grasps the rest by the portion 35 and pulls it outwardly to the positionshown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5. The portions 33 engage the nm 15 to stop the outward movement. As the support is pulled outwardly the plates 24 will slide along the grooves 18 in the ribs 16, being held in yieldably tight frictional engagement with the ribs under the compressive force of spring 27.

When in use position the flatiron A may be readily and safely placed to rest in tilted position in the seat provided by the support member 20 with the rear portion of the handle resting in the portion 37 and the base resting against the rollers 39. In such position the iron does not interfere with the operators access to the top 11 and the handle thereof extends towards the operator for convenient manual gripping. The rollers 39 aid in smooth insertion and removal of the iron.

The entire support may be readily removed from the top by merely squeezing the legs 30 and 31 together against the compressive force of spring 27 causing inward withdrawal of the plates 24 from the respective grooves 18.

The invention accordingly economically and effectively carries out the aforementioned objectives. It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An iron rest for mounting on an ironing table top having a pair of ribs extending longitudinally along the underside thereof, a bracket having a pair of mounting plates lockingly engageable one with each rib, spring means acting between the plates to urge them into locking engagement but yieldable to release the plates from such engagement with the ribs, an iron support member mounted on the bracket and extending therefrom in a direction parallel to the ribs beyond one end of the top for Supporting an iron adjacent that end of the top.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said ribs are provided with longitudinal tracks into which said mounting plates extend allowing the plates to slide therein when in said locking engagement for movement of the support to a stored position under the top.

3. An iron rest for use in combination with an ironing table top having a pair of ribs extending longitudinally along the underside thereof, a mounting bracket adapted for connection with said ribs near one end of the top, an iron rest comprising a length of metal rod formed in a trapezoidal shape with the rod end portions extending in 30 parallelism under the top and connected to the bracket. 4. The subject matter of claim 3 wherein the base rod portion of the rest has roller means journaled thereon and the opposing rod portion is provided with a downward dip for respective seating by said portions of the base and the handle of an iron.

5. In an iron rest for mounting on an ironing table top having guide means extending longitudinally along the underside of one end portion of the top, a bracket assembly including a pair of spring tensioned members adapted for releasable frictional sliding engagement with the guide means for movement therealong between an outer positin near the one table end and an inner position spaced inwardly therefrom, an iron holder formed of a single length of metal rod having its end portions parallel and secured one to each of said spring tensioned members and extending from the bracket assembly toward said one end, the central portion of the rod being configured in a straight sided loop on a generally horizontal plane to receive and seat the lower rear portion of an iron with the forward portion of the iron tilted upwardly, said loop having sides adapted to be spaced transversely of the table and of different lengths for respectively seating the handle and base of the iron.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,781,991 11/1930 Stover 223-88 2,333,516 11/1943 Brusilowsky 38l07 2,923,077 2/1960 Tipping 38104 3,212,742 10/1965 Pavoni 248l17.l

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

K. J. WINGERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN IRON REST FOR MOUNTING ON AN IRONING TABLE TOP HAVING A PAIR OF RIBS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ALONG THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF, A BRACKET HAVING A PAIR OF MOUNTING PLATES LOCKINGLY ENGAGEABLE ONE WITH EACH RIB, SPRING MEANS ACTING BETWEEN THE PLATES TO URGE THEM INTO LOCKING ENGAGEMENT BUT YIELDABLE TO RELEASE THE PLATES FROM SUCH ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RIBS, AN IRON SUPPORT MEMBER 